


Destiny is twaddle

by rubberglue



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-30
Updated: 2013-05-30
Packaged: 2017-12-13 09:55:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/822957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubberglue/pseuds/rubberglue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Arthur learns he is actually the reincarnation of the legendary King Arthur, he lets destiny shape his life. It's easier that way. Until he meets Gwen and realises that he doesn't really want to be part of that legendary love triangle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Destiny is twaddle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [livviedoo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/livviedoo/gifts).



> For livviedoo, fellow suffering Arsenal fan and AG shipper. <3 Happy birthday! I hope you have a great one!

_Arthur was sure he’d signed up for the boxing class for extra credit. In fact, he remembered quite clearly trying out and receiving a pat on the back from the coach for his good performance. So why then was he standing in front of the notice board and staring at his name, neatly printed under “sword fighting”? When did sword fighting even become a legitimate after-school activity? There were two other names below his - Percy Green and Gwaine Masters. He wasn’t even sure who they were._

_Merlin walked up to him. “Hmm, sword fighting.”_

_Arthur glanced at him, expecting to see amusement on his face at Arthur’s predicament. They were a bit too old to consider each other enemies but at the same time, their relationship was far too antagonistic to be considered schoolmates. Something like this would be just the opening Merlin needed for a jibe. Instead, Merlin was frowning, his mind clearly on something else._

+

When the news came that his erstwhile highly responsible personal assistant had decided, quite suddenly, to quit to go on some round-the-world cruise with his mother after winning a significant lottery prize, Arthur Drake merely sighed, picked up his phone and sent a text to Merlin, who he suspected was at work, trying to get away with doing nothing at all. His magic helped with that goal immensely of course, which Arthur knew Merlin used despite Merlin’s insistence that magic was to be used only for important, life threatening moments. If he used magic willy nilly, the fabric of life would be torn, or so said Merlin. Arthur didn’t believe a word. That was simply Merlin’s excuse for not using his magic to make Arthur’s life easier. Or help Arsenal win the Premier League.

As Arthur dropped his phone on the table, he heard a knock on his office door.

“Come in!”

A tiny woman with lush curls that fell over her shoulders stepped in hesitantly. In front of her yellow dress, she clutched her bag. His eyes met hers and it felt like a bolt of lightning tore through him. Briefly he wondered if it was the world being torn apart because Merlin was using magic somewhere out there. But nothing else happened.

“You’re the guy who spilled his coffee down my new dress!” the woman gasped, the nervousness in her face melting into annoyance.

And he was, Arthur realised with a sense of defeat. He’d known his PA’s sudden disappearance was a lead up to something. One would think that after a whole lifetime of this, he would be used to it, but it still always came as a shock to him how tiny elements of his life were manipulated. For what, he’d no idea and Merlin was irritatingly vague about it when questioned.

“My apologies for that,” he said, stretching out his hand. “And you are?”

“Gwen Thomas. Your temp PA.”

Of course, Arthur hadn’t actually asked for a temp PA yet but it was clear as crystal that the universe was determined he meet this Gwen person and when spilling his very expensive iced latte on her two days ago hadn’t done the trick, they’d decided she would work for him. He wasn’t even going to bother challenging the universe. The last time he did so, he’d fallen into a lake, caught pneumonia and spent countless nights dreaming of killing unicorns.

+

_Merlin literally barrelled into his life. Arthur was minding his own business in the cafeteria when Merlin slammed into him and spilled a can of coke down his shirt. Prior to that incident, Arthur hadn’t even noticed Merlin’s existence in school._

_“Hey!”_

_“If you hadn’t been standing in the busiest part of the cafeteria, I wouldn’t have bumped into you.” Merlin glared up at him as if it was his fault Merlin was a blind, clumsy oaf._

_Later that day, Arthur learnt Merlin was in his Physics class. Two weeks later, the teacher announced that him and Merlin were going to be partners in some project._

+

He took Gwen’s hand, ignoring the fact that it seemed to fit in his perfectly, and shook, plastering what he thought was a nice, friendly smile on his face. “That’s brilliant. How about you make yourself comfortable at George’s desk over there and I’ll come by later and brief you on your duties.”

She nodded, a smile on her lips. The moment she walked out of his office, he slammed the door shut, picked up his phone and called Merlin.

“So how did your new PA work out?”

Arthur scowled at Merlin who was looking far too pleased as he stuffed the roasted chicken Arthur picked up from Tesco into his mouth. “Who is she?”

“Haven’t you met her?”

“Stop with that innocent act. I know you know who she is. What part did she play in our past?”

Merlin swallowed the chicken, then waved a fork at Arthur, eyes narrowed. “You didn’t read the books I asked you to.”

“I’m sorry, but unlike you, I don’t have magic to get me through my day so I actually have to work.” Which was partly true. What was truer was the fact that the books Merlin procured from somewhere were thick, dusty and boring. “I did read the wikipedia entry, although that was rather confusing. How many lives have we led?”

“One. And like I told you, those recounts are all horribly inaccurate, spread and changed by the imaginations of people who think nothing of making -”

Arthur waved his hand dismissively. He’d heard countless times Merlin’s rant about how people had changed their stories. “Yeah ok. So how about this Gwen person - is she friend or foe?”

Merlin stared at him, then shook his head sadly.

“What?” Arthur asked, his fork halfway to his mouth.

“Her name is Gwen. Who do you think she is? I’m sure she was mentioned in your wikipedia entry.”

Arthur frowned.

“Gwen,” said Merlin slowly. “Maybe it’s short for something.”

Arthur’s fork clattered to the island. “Guinevere.”

“Yup.” Merlin shovelled more chicken into his mouth, completely unconcerned that Arthur was now staring in shock into blank space.

+

_It was obviously Merlin’s fault. Arthur was a perfectly sensible name for anyone. Merlin, on the other hand, was not a sensible name by any stretch of the imagination. Not if you weren’t a bearded wizard living during the middle ages._

_If it wasn’t for the fact that Arthur was well-loved and the school hero on the football team. the teasing would be more than a few bad Arthurian puns mentioned just within earshot. Merlin seemed to accept it all with equanimity, although Arthur suspected that came with a lot of practise over the years._

_Arthur could take the bad puns. It was the constant suggestion that he should listen to Merlin that annoyed him. Firstly Arthur was perfectly in control of his own life and could make perfectly decent decisions on his own thank you very much. Secondly, he didn’t even like Merlin who took every opportunity to point out Arthur’s failings._

_“If you weren’t such a clueless supercilious fool, you wouldn’t have pissed Mr Odin off so much.”_

_“Shut up Merlin.”_

+

At the entrance to his office building, Arthur repeated the speech he’d given himself in the car. There was no way he was going to fall for Gwen Thomas. She might be pretty and good at her job, and he might have enjoyed that little conversation they had about politics during tea break but she was totally off limits. Firstly, she was his subordinate and he was sure there was something in the rule books about fraternizing with co-workers. Secondly, he was trying really hard not to let this so-called destiny he had take over his life. And frankly, he didn’t think he wanted to fall in love with Gwen and then have her run off with Lance, his good friend from accounts. Although, seeing that he was just an executive at a mid-sized company, any damage that resulted from his broken heart shouldn’t bring the whole country down. That, he supposed, was good to know. The last thing he needed when nursing a broken heart was his country collapsing around him.

It did not help that she had a gorgeous smile which she bestowed upon him as he entered his floor. Mentally, he told his heart to stop speeding up, gave her a curt nod then disappeared into his office before he succumbed to the sudden urge to flirt with her. It was that braid she had in her hair. It made her look simultaneously fresher and sexier.

He dealt with the problem of Gwen Thomas the same way he dealt with anything. He buried himself in work. A particularly poorly written proposal had his attention when he heard a knock on his door. Distractedly, he invited the person in, then realised it was Gwen. She smiled that smile again, causing his foolish heart to speed up, then settled down in front of his table.

“Mr Drake -”

“Call me Arthur.” The moment the words left his mouth, he groaned inwardly. This was not how you kept a distance from someone.

“Arthur,” she smiled again. “I was looking through these reports on that major deal that you wanted filed and I noticed some things. I know it’s not my place but I have some suggestions.” She paused and watched him carefully, her eyes wide and unguarded. Something shifted in him and Arthur knew that he was in deep trouble.

+

Gwen was enthusiastic and her ideas were intriguing. At least that was the reason he gave for having lunch with her that day. He wanted to listen to more of her ideas. Merlin had laughed when Arthur told him, then wished him luck. Yeah, thought Arthur. Luck to ensure that history didn’t repeat itself. Which it wouldn’t, because Arthur knew better.

They had lunch again that week. And again that same week. Not only did Gwen have good insights and a quick mind, just having her around as he worked through a particularly sensitive and tricky deal made everything better.

He didn’t tell Merlin anything.

“This probably isn’t the best idea,” she said quietly at the door of his office just before he was due to present that sensitive and tricky deal to the board, “but I got you this. For luck.” Gwen smiled awkwardly, then passed him a small box. Their hands brushed as he took it from her, the usual shiver of awareness passing through him. Clumsily, he opened the box, smiling at the cupcake within. “You mentioned you liked cupcakes.” It didn’t go unnoticed that her voice was slightly rougher and her eyes focused on the floor.

A sense of warmth and affection flooded him. Then his eyes dropped to her lips and a completely different feeling gripped him. He set the box down on the table behind him, then took her chin in his hand, lifting her face up so their eyes met. Tension hung low and heavy between them. Gwen’s eyes widened as her lips fell open. She whispered his name and he groaned, dipping his head to press his lips against her warm ones. The kiss was light, brief and when he pulled away, they stared silently at each other. Panic rushed through him.

“I’ve got to go now. Wouldn’t want to be late.”

“No,” she said, her eyes still wide and uncertain.

The meeting dragged on and while he’d practised the presentation so many times with Gwen that he could do it in his sleep. The questions and the concerns raised were exactly those he discussed with Gwen and he dealt with them deftly but all through the meeting, at the back of his mind, played that kiss with Gwen.

By the time the meeting ended, Arthur knew it was a mistake. As attracted as he was to Gwen, it was bound to end in disaster. And while the country might not fall, his company might.

+

_“I’ve heard ridiculous things come out of your mouth before but this takes the cake,” laughed Arthur. Somehow, over the past few months, they developed a slightly odd friendship. As much as Arthur was loathed to admit it, he enjoyed Merlin’s company._

_Merlin wasn’t laughing. Instead, he looked slightly frightened and as far as Arthur knew, Merlin was rarely afraid._

_Then the paper in front of him went up in flames._

_“What the hell?” Arthur leapt away from the table._

_“I told you,” muttered a sullen Merlin. “And I’m only telling you because you’re involved.” His eyes flashed gold and the fire died._

_“Involved? In your mutant abilities?” From a safe distance, Arthur stared at Merlin. “And the next time you want to show me your magic, can you do something less dangerous? Oh my god. You have magic.”_

_Arthur’s life was never the same again. And it was all Merlin’s fault._

+

Gwen was waiting for him when he came out of the meeting. A small smile on her face, she stood as he approached.

“How was it?”

“It went very well.” He stopped some distance away from her, conscious that if he went any nearer, he would probably be unable to curb the urge to drag her to him and kiss her again.

“I thought perhaps you’d like to go for dinner tonight. To celebrate.” Her eyes refused to meet his and he could see a blush on her cheeks.

Arthur wanted so much to say yes.

“I don’t think it would be a good idea.”

The smile on her face slipped and she took a step back. “Oh,” she breathed. “Right. Ok, I have some documents I need your signature here.”

Gwen ran through a list of things she’d prepared for him but Arthur wasn’t listening. He wanted to take back his rejection, to tell her he would love nothing better than to go for dinner with her. But he didn’t. Instead he walked over to her desk and signed beside all the little crosses she had marked out, then he disappeared into his office, wondering why he had to be who he was.

Back in the solace of his office, he punched in the familiar number, then made arrangements for dinner with Merlin instead.

“I don’t know anything!” he snapped at Merlin over dinner. “All I know is that I’m apparently the reincarnation of King Arthur and you’re my servant Merlin - although you aren’t very servanty in this life. You should probably look into that. I have no idea why I’m reincarnated. The wikipedia entry said something about rising when Britain needs me most and while I’m not wholly keen on the current government or the weather here, I doubt I’m here to overthrow the government or control the weather.”

“Destiny is twaddle anyway,” muttered Merlin. “Shouldn’t allow it to rule our lives.”

“What do you mean destiny is twaddle? Destiny has done nothing but manipulate my life.”

“You let it,” Merlin said.

Arthur rolled his eyes. He didn’t let destiny manipulate his life. He just didn’t have a choice.

+

_Arthur shrugged off the suggestion that his strange enrolment into a sword fighting class had anything to do with Merlin’s insistence that they were reincarnations of King Arthur and Merlin. But when he realised that Gwaine and Percy had the same names as two of King Arthur’s knights, it was difficult to pretend it was anything other than destiny shaping his life._

_And so when he got an offer to study Political Science in Cardiff University despite applying to study psychology, he simply sighed and accepted the offer. It helped he chose psychology as his field of study simply because he’d closed his eyes and jabbed at the prospectus._

_Just moments after he graduated, an official envelope was handed to him._

_“What is it?” asked Merlin who too just graduated from Cardiff University._

_“Invitation to a will reading.”_

_“Did someone die?”_

_“People die all the time. Apparently my birth father died.”_

_Merlin frowned and snatched the letter. “Your birth father? I thought you didn’t know who he was.”_

_“Now I do. He’s Uther Pendragon.”_

_It didn’t surprise Arthur one bit that he was now the largest shareholder of Camelot Consultancy. Frankly, if Arthur saw a sword sticking out of a rock one day, he was just going to walk over and pull it out. Maybe then he’ll miraculously become the Prime Minister of England. Then he’ll give Arsenal some tax breaks so they could finally buy some players and win something._

+

“What is the point of us being reincarnated anyway? I run a consulting agency - well, I would if the board of directors weren’t so bone-headedly awful about me taking over.” Arthur pushed open the door to their shared apartment and grumbled. “I thought you said you were going to clean up the kitchen!”

“Yeah well. Something came up. Anyway, I thought it was because we were going to have to save the world from something to be honest,” said Merlin. “But it doesn’t look like the world needs saving, not by us anyway. No aliens invading, no apocalypse on the horizon, no zombies.”

Arthur sighed. “Well, climate change is going to destroy the world. Maybe that’s the direction my company should be moving towards - consulting for renewable energy sources.”

“Isn’t it already? It’s a pretty big part of your portfolio isn’t it?”

“So that’s it? They reincarnated King Arthur so he’d encourage businesses to use green energy?”

“How should I know? Old Killy is full of riddles and proclamations, half of which don’t make sense and the other half just contradict each other. But I’m pretty sure destiny has something planned for us.”

“Speaking of destiny, Gwen asked me out for dinner.”

“Huh.”

“I see no reason to get involved in a messed up love triangle which only ends in disaster for all of us.”

“I told you the stories aren’t all true.”

Arthur snorted. “Funny how they all have the same story of Guinevere, Arthur and Lancelot then.”

"Don't you think the stories are all really dramatic though? Like some sort of medieval soap opera. I'm pretty sure it was nothing like that really, not in my dreams anyway."

Arthur opened his eyes. "Your dreams."

"Yeah. Sometimes I dream about my past life. It seems to involve mostly you being a pain to me, much like this life actually."

Arthur sat up. “You never mentioned this before. Did you have a pointy hat and a beard?”

“No. I told you the stories were not accurate. I wasn’t some old wizard. I was young. We were both young.”

“You were young and I went to you for advice. I must have been a fool.”

Merlin laughed. “You definitely were a fool. Anyway, from what I gathered, I gave advice, you mocked me then listened to me.”

“Much like now,” mused Arthur.

“Yeah. And you know, here’s some advice for you. If you like Gwen, then what’s the harm in seeing where it goes?”

“Because I know where it goes. I read the wiki. Now shut up and go clean the kitchen.”

“You have a maid that comes in, you know.”

“Merlin! You messed it up with your magic experiments. Clean it yourself!”

+

There was no point in lying to himself. He liked Gwen. He really, really liked Gwen. After the initial few days of awkwardness, things went back to normal. They had the occasional lunch together and their conversations were something he looked forward to every day. Just seeing her was enough to make his day that little bit better.

Maybe Merlin was right. Maybe his future wasn’t written in stone. Maybe if he and Gwen ended up together, it wouldn’t be the disaster it was in all the books.

On her last day of work, he asked her out for dinner.

“You practically own this company,” she said, her hands clasped in front of her. “I’m just a temp staff. I don’t even belong in your world.”

Fearing she was about to turn him down, he blurted, “I’ve never felt this way about anyone else.”

“One day you will. You’ll find someone more suitable, someone who moves in your circles. And that person wouldn’t be me.”

When he said nothing, she turned back to her desk, gathered all her things and walked out of his office and his life.

He never felt so bereft before.

The pub was full with people eagerly awaiting the North London derby. It wasn’t the best time to drown his sorrows but neither his broken heart or the derby could be postponed. He’d downed a mug of beer before Merlin, Percy and Gwaine slid into the seats next to him.

“Bet you £10 that Arsenal will take the lead, then promptly concede two goals.”

Arthur grunted at Gwaine who smirked back at him.

Percy slapped him on the back. “Cheer up! She’s not the only fish in the sea.”

After 90 painful minutes, Arsenal beat Spurs 1-0 but even that didn’t improve Arthur’s mood. As Merlin navigated the crowded streets in Arthur’s car, Arthur stared sullenly out of the window.

“I should have said yes when she asked me to dinner that day.”

“I told you.” Merlin slammed on the horn. “Do these people think they own the roads?”

“Why isn’t teleportation in your repertoire of magic spells?”

“Even if it were, I wouldn’t use it because as I’ve explained before, using magic at random will only serve to tear this world apart.”

Arthur sighed. “What use is your magic then?”

“Keeping you safe,” Merlin said quietly.

“What?”

“It’s what I did in our past life. You notice you never fall sick right? Umm, also remember how there was almost a scandal over rumours about you and Alined’s daughter? I used magic to make sure it never broke in the news.”

Arthur stared at Merlin. “Great. Not only is destiny driving my life, you are too. I’m a bloody puppet.”

“I should have told you before. Sorry.”

+

_Arthur took to the business world like a duck to water. Even the board members of Camelot Consultancy who resented this unknown kid who turned up out of nowhere agreed reluctantly that he seemed to have an innate talent at diplomacy. While Arthur knew at the back of his mind, that this was all probably part of this bigger destiny Merlin kept going on about, he found himself actually enjoying consultancy work._

_In the beginning, it bothered Arthur a lot that things just kept happening to push him in certain directions in life but he soon got used to it. Destiny seemed to know what was best for him. After all, he led a good life and he was happy. Mostly._

+

He was buying donuts when he saw Gwen again. His heart raced and he felt like a teenager again. As he wondered if he should approach her and if he did, what he should say, she walked up to him, a warm smile on her face.

“Hi.”

Her voice sent shivers down his spine and Arthur knew he was grinning like a fool. “Gwen.”

“Picking up breakfast?”

“Yes, you?”

“Same. Got some of their muffins.” She raised her paper bag and shook it lightly. “I’m temping at an accounting firm down the road.”

“I see,” he said as he searched his mind frantically for ways to prolong the conversation. “Remember that project we were working on?”

Gwen nodded. “I suppose it was a success?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

Her laugh made his toes curl. “All I did was filing.”

“You listened to me and you gave some really useful suggestions.” He swallowed. “I miss you.”

Gwen’s eyes widened and she chewed on her lips. A blush stained her cheeks as she replied, “And I you.”

“Have dinner with me. Please.”

“I shouldn’t,” she said with a wry laugh, “but I’m going to say yes.”

Life became a whirlwind of happiness and joy in the weeks that followed. They spent every moment they could together, enjoying each other and the sense of rightness that seemed to have enveloped them. Arthur could not imagine a day without Gwen by his side, laughing with him, making smart remarks or simply encouraging him with a smile and a squeeze of his hand.

Gwen smiled at her door, her fingers lazily tracing patterns on his shoulder. “Are you coming in tonight?”

Dipping his head, he kissed her long and deeply, taking pleasure at the blush that stained her brown skin. “I want to.”

“I want you to.” She swayed towards him and pressed tiny kisses against his jaw. “Stay the night Arthur.”

As they tumbled into bed that night, Arthur had the sudden realisation he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

He was humming as he laid the table for dinner the next evening. It was a rare evening without Gwen but she’d promised to spend the night with her father. Already he missed her and found himself chattering about her to Merlin and his plans for their future.

“Gwen and I are going to grow old together,” Arthur said smugly. “And for once, I’m going to thwart destiny.”

“You need to tell her,” Merlin said quite sensibly.

Arthur’s good mood faded. Now and then, it would cross his mind but it made everything needlessly complicated and what if she thought he only loved her because of their past and not because of how they shared a love for sweet desserts, or how her laugh made him all warm inside, or how making her smile made him happier than closing any deal or just how he felt complete with her?

“Sure,” Arthur said flippantly, trying to quell the discomfort that was building in him. “I’ll just tell her that she’s actually the reincarnation of the infamous Guinevere of the Arthurian legends fame. And I’m King Arthur. I’m sure she’ll believe me. Reincarnations are a dime a dozen nowadays.”

Merlin grunted into his drink. “Well, I don’t think it’s right that you plan to marry her and not tell her.”

And much as Arthur was loathe to admit it, Merlin was right. She laughed when he told her and while it was a beautiful laugh, Arthur’s stomach churned at her response. When Gwen noticed he wasn’t laughing with her, she sobered up and asked him if he was serious. He nodded, then turned to Merlin. The amusement in her eyes disappeared and she watched them warily. When Merlin conjured up a dragon from the flames of the candles, Gwen simply watched wide-eyed. For a while, she said nothing.

“I need to think,” she muttered as she stood.

“We should talk -” He reached for her but she avoided his touch. He never realised his heart could hurt so much.

“I need to be alone. Please.”

Arthur watched with a sinking heart as she walked away from him, shocked that she could so easily turn her back on them. He blinked back the wetness that had gathered in his eyes and turned to Merlin who simply patted his back. “She’ll come back. You two are meant for each other.”

But Arthur wasn’t quite so sure.

When he entered the lobby of his office building the next day and saw Gwen standing near the lifts, smiling and laughing, her hands adjusting the tie of Lance, a chill wrapped around his heart and emotions clouded his brain.

“I knew it!” He bit out, marching towards Lance and Gwen. “How long has this been going on?”

Gwen turned to Arthur, confusion in her eyes. “Arthur -”

Grabbing her shoulders, he repeated his question. “How long?”

“Hey, let go of her.” Lance put a hand on Arthur’s arm. Anger surged through Arthur and he let go of Gwen, swinging round to deal with Lance.

He got a punch in, Lance got one in as well. Then everything was a blur, until he felt Gwen pulling at him and yelling at him to stop. Sucking in a breath, he staggered away from Lance who was slumped against the wall.

“What do you think you’re doing? How could you?”

Arthur watched as Gwen hovered over Lance, fussing over him. He felt strangely numb. Picking up his bag which he’d dropped earlier, he walked out of the building, ignoring the whispers and stares of others. Back in his apartment, he sat on his sofa and stared at the blank screen of his television. He thought of Gwen, of the perfect few months they had together, of the ring in the pocket of his jacket, of the dreams he had for the two of them. He thought of Merlin’s insistence that they were reincarnations of King Arthur and the wizard Merlin, of how they were here for a reason, of how he’d let destiny shape his whole life.

What had he done? His relationship with Gwen was unsalvageable now. Destiny had made sure of that.

When Merlin found him, Arthur was curled up on the sofa asleep, his face damp.

+

The last person Arthur expected to see when he awoke was Gwen so he blinked several times, but she was still there, at the dining table, talking with Merlin in whispers. He cleared his throat and she immediately looked at him. The lack of warmth in her eyes killed the brief hope that had blossomed at the sight of her.

“I’m going to take a shower,” he said but Merlin and Gwen were back to their whispering.

The scalding water woke him up and he stood under it for a long time. Getting out meant facing Gwen and the remnants of the relationship he so spectacularly destroyed earlier. Still he couldn’t hide in his bedroom forever.

Arthur wasn’t sure what he was hoping but when he saw that only Merlin was in the living room, his already broken heart just broke a little bit more.

“Did she break up with me through you?”

“I think the break up happened the moment you grabbed her and yelled at her,” Merlin fluffed the cushions before placing them back on the sofa. “What on earth was that about?”

“I saw her with Lance and I completely lost it,” Arthur groaned.

“I have good news and bad news.”

Grabbing a mug and tossing in some instant coffee mix, Arthur sighed heavily. “What’s the good news?”

“Lance has no intention of pressing charges. Also, despite your strange imaginings, there is nothing happening between Gwen and Lance. They are just old friends from childhood.”

“Great,” Arthur said flatly.

“The bad news is that Gwen is spitting mad at you.”

“Great,” he said again. “Do you think this is the beginning of the end because the way I’m feeling, I can’t wait for the end.”

+

He smoothed things over with Lance first. That was easier partly because Lance was in his employ and partly because prior to that incident, they had been pretty good friends. Now, he stood nervously in front of Gwen’s apartment, a large bouquet of flowers in his arms.

She opened the door to him, which was frankly further than he thought he would get.

“Arthur.”

“Gwen. I know you’re angry and upset with me and you have every right to be. I am just hoping you’ll hear me out, let me explain. And then I’ll leave and not bother you again.” Every word he said, a knife stabbed into his heart.

She said nothing but crossed her arms and leaned against the door jam.

Arthur looked down at her, desperately trying to memorise her face. His hands itched to touch her so he tightened his hold on the flowers. There was no point passing them to her. He could tell she didn’t want them.

“It’s a long story,” he said quietly.

“Then you’d better start.”

“When Merlin told me about our past lives, I reacted the way you did. I laughed then I got scared and angry.” Everything came tumbling out of him, how he basically accepted the whims of destiny when fighting against it seemed pointless, how he’d been convinced that his relationship with Gwen would end in disaster because she was definitely going to cheat on him.

“So from the very beginning, you thought I was going to cheat on you.” Her voice sent shards of pain through him.

“It seemed inevitable. Which was why I turned you down for dinner that day.”

“Well then I guess it’s a good thing that the relationship is over then. Because I wouldn’t want to be in a relationship with someone who didn’t trust me at all.” Her eyes were wet and she swallowed angrily. “All this time, you were just waiting for me to cheat on you. I’ll have you know that I loved you. I would never have done anything to hurt you intentionally.”

“The Guinevere of the legends didn’t mean to hurt Arthur either,” he said softly. “It just happened.”

She blinked and stared up at him. “So you’re saying this was all destined to happen?”

“I’m sorry Gwen.” When she continued to stare silently at him, he took a step back away from her. “I guess this is it then.” The bouquet in one hand, he turned around and walked slowly away.

She didn’t call him back.

+

He sold his stake in the company, then resigned from his position, much to the confusion and the delight to the board.

“Now that you’re rolling in cash, what are you going to do?” Merlin asked over dinner.

“I don’t know yet. Something I chose and wasn’t chosen for me.”

“This is your version of thumbing your nose at destiny, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I’m finally rebelling. Like you. I should have known your refusal to work in Camelot Consultancy was part of that.”

Merlin shrugged. “Yeah. Maybe. Destiny is probably laughing down at me since all I’ve managed is a job at as a children’s party entertainer.”

“You enjoy it though.”

“You enjoyed your work at Camelot Consultancy as well. You enjoyed studying political science and you are a deft hand at sword fighting nowadays,” pointed out Merlin. “I told you destiny is twaddle. Just live your life the way you want.”

“What about the Gwen fiasco?”

Merlin looked up from his chicken sandwich. “That was your own fault. You do realise that right? Destiny didn’t do anything. Look, sure it pushes us about, hinting at things that we should do but you’ve completely abandoned Camelot and you’re still standing. I use my magic to entertain little kids and I’m still around.”

“You use your magic to entertain little kids but you won’t use it to do the dishes?” Arthur spluttered.

“I only use my magic at work. You know that -”

“Shut up Merlin.”

“You should talk to Gwen. One more week of you moping around here and I’m going to send you to the woods to look for a sword in a stone.”

+

“You’re alive.” Gwen said as she opened the door to him again. “I thought my cheating on you was a precursor to your death.”

“I was stupid. When I spoke to you the last time, I blamed it all on fate. But it’s really my fault isn’t it?”

“Yes. You should have trusted me.”

“I did. I do. Which is why I’m asking you for another chance. And frankly, even if it all ends in fire and heartache like it does in the legends, whatever time I have with you would be worth it.”

Gwen chewed on her lips and looked up at him. Then she sighed. “Maybe I’m the stupid one. I’m actually considering getting back together with a man who thinks he’s the reincarnation of King Arthur.”

A smile tugged at his lips and warmth flooded his body. “It’s true. Believe me, until Merlin started setting things on fire, I didn’t believe him either.” He took her hands, thankful she didn’t pull away. “I let myself go along with whatever destiny decided. For most of my life it was easier. But I’m not going to let fate or destiny or whoever ruin us, because you’re possibly the best thing to happen to me.”

“Even if it all ends in your tragic death at the hands of your son which you bore with your sister?”

“Seeing that I’ve no idea who or where my sister is and I’m pretty sure I have no sons, it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

Gwen pushed herself up on tiptoes and kissed him. “I missed you terribly.”

Wrapping his arms around her, he tugged her close to him and buried his face in her throat. “I love you.”


End file.
